Labrador Retriever


*The Winners*		*Labrador Retriever*
		Purina has inducted eight heroic Labrador Retrievers into its Animal Hall of Fame. Here are their stories:
Keno 2002 Service Dog of the Year		Fernie, British Columbia Keno, a five-year-old Labrador Retriever from Fernie Alpine Resort in Fernie, British Columbia, is the first non-police dog to receive the Service Dog of the Year Award. Keno was credited with saving the life of Ryan Radchenko after finding him buried under two meters of snow. Ryan, a ski lift operator was skiing down the mountain on the day before the resort opened, when a snow face beneath him gave way, causing an avalanche that took him downhill with it. Keno and owner/handler Robin Siggers were on the scene in minutes and Keno went to work, quickly picking up Ryan's scent and digging deep into the snow. After finding Ryan's glove, rescuers began to dig around the remaining snow, pulling a semi-conscious Ryan to safety after being trapped beneath the snow for 26 minutes.

Stub 2001		Chateau-Richer, Quebec On February 14, 2000, Ludivine Cauchon experienced an event that she will never forget while out walking her black Labrador Retriever, Stub. The snowy and normally peaceful wooded valley, where Ludivine often played with Stub, was unusually full of activity as a rescue team desperately searched for two teens thought to be buried by a small avalanche. Unsure of whether or not their presence would be a hindrance or help, Ludivine decided that she and Stub, who is a trained hunting dog, should contribute to the effort. Stub quickly went to work and in a very short period of time, located a pair of gloves which alerted the rescue team to the location of the lost teens. Earlier that afternoon, Marise Boucher and Christian Lachance had set out for a walk after a snowstorm had caused the cancellation of classes at the local high school. As they strolled through the steep-walled ravine, the heavy snow, which had built up along the sides, broke away and cascaded down the gorge's sides, burying them within seconds. Thanks to Stub, Christian and Marise were found huddled together. They were immediately rushed to hospital where Marise was treated for multiple injuries and severe hypothermia. Unfortunately, despite the valiant attempts of the rescue workers, Christian did not survive the tragic ordeal. Although the day will be remembered with terrible sadness, it will also be remembered with joy - for thanks to Stub, Marise survived. She and the entire Boucher family are grateful to Stub for his sense of purpose and intelligence.

Morphy 1998		London, Ontario Morphy, a three-year-old yellow Labrador alerted his owners, Esther and David Andrews, to the fact their next door neighbour had collapsed on his porch. Doug Rogers was having an angina attack when the pain became so acute that he collapsed. Morphy heard his weak cries for help and pulled at Esther's sleeve until she let him outside. He led her round a 50-foot long cedar hedge which separated the two properties to Doug's side. Esther and her family were then able to alert Doug's family and call 911.

Sampson 1998		Cranbrook, British Columbia Sampson, a one-year-old yellow Labrador came to the rescue of his owner's sister, Carol Robinson, after she was pulled under the icy cold water of a glacier-fed river in the Yukon Valley. Carol was crossing the river when she accidentally stepped into a hole in the river bed. Water poured into her chest waders and dragged her under. Sampson swam to her aid, diving beneath the surface of the water to grab her sleeve. Gripping her arm with his teeth, he towed her out of the strong current to the safety of the river bank.

Belle 1994		Lunenburg, Nova Scotia Belle, a one-year old Labrador Retriever was the first of several heroes responsible for saving the life of three-year-old Ken Knickle, who spent 30 minutes under water after falling into an icy channel of the Lunenburg Harbour. When Ken's father spotted Belle in the water, he realized that the family pet was acting as a marker for his son, who had drifted below the surface. Ken's father was able to hoist the boy out of the water and began performing CPR. With the help of local rescue and medical teams, Ken's heart began beating two hours later. After two days in a coma, he awoke to amazed doctors and a thankful family.

Tia 1992		Port McNeill, British Columbia Tia, a six-year-old Labrador, owned by Sean Lingl, saved the lives of her owner and his fishing companion when a leak in Sean's small dingy caused the boat to capsize. Weighed down by bulky clothing and equipment the men could only cling to the side of the boat. Tia, despite having only three legs, pulled on the mooring rope attached to the boat and guided them through the freezing, rough water to shore.

Gamma 1976		Montreal, Quebec Gamma, a Labrador Retriever Seeing-Eye dog, saved his master, Marcel Daigneault, when he pushed Mr. Daigneault out of the path of a truck speeding through an intersection against a traffic light. Gamma was badly injured in the incident and required extensive veterinarian care.

Pat 1968		Kingston, Ontario Pat, a black Labrador Retriever owned by Tom Murphy saved his owner's life by towing him with a rope attached to an oarless boat for three and a half hours in strong winds and rough water on the St. Lawrence River.
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